APPENDIX B
GREEN MEASURES AT NHDC
List of Achievements as at 14 November 2012
 Building awareness of Climate Change for Officers and Members
 Home working, reducing the need for staff to travel to the office every day
 Mobile working, reducing the need for the public to travel to the office, and
sometimes on several occasions, to produce paperwork/identity information etc
 Cycle buy – although initially a low take up we are investigating repeating this
provision
 The Council offices and our civic rooms, used by members and the public, are now
housed in one building, reducing heat/light/services in the three buildings previously
used
 Reduction in the number of computer servers, with resultant reduction in energy
 Reducing courier service between premises and thereby transport costs
 New multi function printers saving significant energy and printing costs
 New roofing at the North Herts Leisure Centre in Letchworth - upgrading the
insulation and reducing heating costs.
 HEEP (Herts Essex Energy Partnership) signposting for residents to gain better
access to energy efficiency measures/good practice
 Warm Front Grants signposting for residents
 Improved energy improvements to Letchworth pool, showers and NHDC office toilets
 Supported sustainable planning projects
 Risk Assessments ‘to service delivery arising from climate change’ by a number of
service areas completed*
 NHDC Waste services recycled 50% of residents waste in 2011/12
 Commercial recycling trial currently being investigated for economic viability to
businesses in Hitchin, Letchworth and Baldock in 2012
 Flats recycling scheme continues to grow
 On-street recycling trial in Letchworth underway
 Schools recycling continues to grow
 Office recycling commenced March 2011 and after the first full year has reduced
waste and increased revenue from the sale of recyclables; 53 tonnes of waste has
been recycled saving £2K.
 A Senior Planning Officer has attended 3 day training sessions at no charge to
NHDC. This set of sessions has reinforced knowledge on Climate Change issues
and the information will be used to help write our planning policies.
 Currently undertaking a refuse / recycling collection route optimisation process to
identify potential transport / collection saving options.
 Cessation of the confidential destruction service from the council DCO, all shredding
conducted on site and shredded materials included within the office recycling project
waste stream.
 Grounds Maintenance contract renewed with greater emphasis placed upon
environmental impact. Contract starts 1st April 2012 – initiatives include more fuel
efficient vehicles, recycling of green waste, reduced travelled mileage to deliver
specification.
 Undertake recycling of litter collected from parks and open spaces either via
emptying bins or litter picking. Materials such as cans and glass are separated for
recycling before any residues are sent to landfill.
 Installed new pool covers at Royston Leisure Centre (RLC), Letchworth Out Door
Pool (LODP) and Hitchin Swimming Centre (HSC).
 Installed computer system to monitor and control pool plant and building equipment
in RLC, North Herts Leisure Centre (NHLC) and HSC.
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Variable speed drives fitted at NHLC to the pool water pumps to enable the water
flow to decrease when the pool is not in use.
Combined Heat and Power units install at HSC and NHLC in order to reduce
electricity usage.
Installed Kalwall panels to replace windows at the NHLC pool hall to reduce heat
loss, therefore, less energy required to heat pool environment.
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Refurbishment of Howard Park & Gardens included the following;
o Timber sourced from sustainable forests used for new park furniture
o Waste management plans produced for refurbishment with minimal materials
being taken off site.
o Gravity fed system used for new paddling pool to reduce electricity
consumption.
o Porous surfaces installed for new hard standing areas to allow for natural
drainage
o Drought resistant plant species selected to reduce need for irrigation
o Main contractor encouraged to use local suppliers to reduce transport of
materials and goods
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NHDC Parking services has introduced 28 solar powered car park ticket machines.
Also, changed deployment of Civil Enforcement Officers, therefore less vehicles in
use.
Introduction of a cardboard compactor at Hitchin Market, therefore the majority of
waste from this market is recycled.
Comprehensive programme of tree management and maintenance in place
Our contractors Veolia are using newer vehicles which mean better fuel efficiency
More use of on-line application forms and reporting systems via the NHDC website
means a saving in paper.
From July 2012 member despatch will be reduced from twice weekly to Fridays only.
Despatch involves delivering official papers to the 49 councillors in the district. CO2
emissions from this exercise should have been halved. The contractors who carry out
this work combine this delivery route with a security round to further improve energy
efficiencies for the district as a whole.
In July 2012 NHDC won a National Recycling Award, in the ‘Waste Minimisation’
category, for its campaign to encourage people in North Herts to reduce the amount
of food they throw away. The awards are open to businesses, councils and other
organisations and celebrate the very highest standards in recycling and waste
management.
Royston railway underpass officially opened June 2012 linking the north of the town
directly with the leisure centre and the main complex of schools. This enhancement
allows pedestrians and cyclists to travel quickly and safely around this area and
should reduce car use.
Refurbishment of Avenue Park, Baldock includes the order for a new splash pad
water play feature to replace the paddling pool. This feature will recycle water once it
has been through the play system. The used water will be stored in underground
tanks and used to irrigate the nearby bowling green, cricket table as well as having a
draw off tap to fill water bowsers. Work is scheduled to commence in Jan 2013 and
be completed in March 2013.
Ongoing office recycling: still being well used, (results updated quarterly and placed
in kitchen areas)
Monitoring of Cumberlow organic waste loads has taken place to ensure correct
material is being placed in the brown bin. The presence of the wrong items the brown
bin can mean: Employing people to pick out contaminating items, if small items still
contaminate the waste after going through the picking process it will be sent to
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landfill, Landfilling = £150 per tonne. NHDC are now targeting communications to
specific areas of the district where there are problems. This action should reduce
incorrect material and improve quality to ensure that less waste is sent to landfill.
Road-shows focussing on food waste reduction and recycling and brown bin
contamination continue during the summer e.g. Baldock Day, interactive cinema
experience in Hitchin Town square
New display panels on 3 waste collection freighters reminding residents that all food
waste can go into the brown bin
The first of two lifts has been refurbished at the Letchworth multi-storey car park. This
new lift is 100% more energy efficient than the previous one.
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Priory Memorial Gardens in Royston and Norton Common in Letchworth both received a
Green Flag Award in July. The national award is given to the nation’s best community parks
and green spaces. Each year, judges look at whether the parks are welcoming, safe and
secure, clean and well maintained, environmentally friendly, that they involve the community
and are managed in a way that protects wildlife. It is the third consecutive year that the two
parks, managed by NHDC and John O’Conner Grounds Maintenance Ltd, have received the
prestigious award.
Compostable vending cups are now being used in the machines at the district council offices
staff room. The new environmentally friendly cups can be placed in the kitchen caddies or
brown cardboard bins.
Our ‘planning advice’ page on the NHDC website includes a link to provide guidance for
householders who are looking for advice relating to planning and building regulation matters
for green energy projects and energy saving.
From the October 2012 NHDC launched a new free recycling service for commercial
premises in the District, helping businesses to reduce their general waste collection costs
and benefit the environment.
An online guide to help Hertfordshire residents adapt their homes to save energy and water
has been launched by the county’s local authorities. The Hertfordshire Building Futures
Partnership, which is comprised of Hertfordshire County Council plus the ten district and
borough authorities, has unveiled the new ‘Retrofit Resource’, which provides information to
help save energy and water.
Wild flower planting on roundabouts is part of a new district wide approach that is more
sustainable, reducing the need for watering.
NHDC contracts include a caveat that contractors must have due regard to tackling climate
change. The clause used in a services contract above 50k is as follows although the wording
may change depending on the contract.
"The Contractor shall perform the Services in accordance with the Council’s Climate Change
policy, in so far as they relate to performance of the contract, which is to reduce carbon and
equivalent emissions by conserving energy, water, wood, paper and other resources,
reducing waste and phase out the use of ozone depleting substances, selecting appropriate
materials, products, goods, parts and minimising the release of greenhouse gases, volatile
organic compounds and other substances damaging to health and the environment.” For low
value contracts (5k to 50k) an appropriate clause would be inserted.
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How green is your school?
NHDC has launched a competition to find the most environmentally-friendly school in the
district. Schools will be judged on the steps they have taken to reduce their carbon footprint
including energy-saving campaigns, using solar panels, providing composting and gardening
clubs or schemes to recycle more. A prize of £150 of gardening vouchers will be presented
to the winning school and £50 of vouchers will be given to the runner up.
Following the successful trial of a free recycling service in schools, we have now extended
the service across the district. Now 82% of the schools with NHDC's refuse contract are
collecting their food and card for composting and paper for recycling. Some are also
recycling their glass and cans. The service reinforces the recycling message to pupils,
enables schools to become more environmentally aware and helps reduce waste sent to
landfill.
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